"They first popped up late 2005 with their X-Mystique 7.1 sound card. They knew well enough they couldn't beat Creative at its own game when it came to gaming. So, just like Audiotrak and Onkyo, they concentrated on audiophiles and audio enthusiasts, delivering sound cards with board layouts that focus on analog quality, swappable operational amplifiers, better DACs and a slew of other features."